Grindr’s “Kindr” campaign has officially begun and they’ve enlisted the help of queer people of color to help be the faces of this new movement.
During this summer, Grindr announced an upcoming campaign and shift to it’s program. This “kindr” Grindr would prohibit users from using terms like “No Asians” on their profiles.
Many have applauded and condemned this announcement, and some say it's entirely moot since the problem is more societally based.
Now, it seems the campaign side of the program shift has begun.
Recently, Grindr released the below statement about the “kindr” campaign:
“At Grindr, we’re into diversity, inclusion, and users who treat each other with respect. We’re not into racism, bullying, or other forms of toxic behavior. These are our preferences, and we’ve updated our Community Guidelines to better reflect them. Same app. New rules. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Their type. Their tastes. But nobody is entitled to tear someone else down because of their race, size, gender, HIV status, age, or – quite simply – being who they are. Join us in building a kinder Grindr. Express yourself, but not at the expense of someone else. Report discrimination when you see it. Use your voice and share your story to call out prejudice and spark change. Together, we can amplify the conversation and take steps towards a kinder, more respectful community.”
In addition, Grindr released the below video which included people like Joel Kim Booster, Rakeem Cunningham, Jai Rodriguez, The Vixen, Emilio Amador, and Jasmine.
Each person in this group shared personal thoughts on the age-old conversation of racism/preference on the app and in gay dating as a whole.
“If you don’t put ‘no Asians’ in your profile, it doesn’t mean you have to f**k Asians now,” said rising comedian Joel Kim Booster. “It just means I don’t have to see it….For you to say ‘I know what every Asian guy looks like and I know for a fact that I would not be attracted to any of them?’ That comes from a racist place. Because you don’t know what we all look like. That’s ugly.”
You can hear all the other opinions and perspectives from Grindr and its associates down below.
I can’t roll my eyes hard
I can't roll my eyes hard enough at this. Everyone has to get so effing butt-hurt because someone else is not attracted to them for whatever reason. I'm 58 years old….I've been out for 40 years. There have been people not attracted to me for various reasons through out my adult gay life. I don't consider it "discrimination"……it's just a physical preference. I used to be someone that turned heads when I walked through a club…..I'm pushing 60 with a vengeance now…….I don't turn heads much anymore. And being over 50 (ie. gay dead, LOL) means that there are a lot of guys that aren't interested. I'm okay with that. When I was in my 20s, 30s, 40s even, I didn't want someone close to 60 years old. Is that "age discrimination"…..no. It's a preference for what you are attracted to. There are people I am not attracted to because of their looks. That is just the way life is. Get that chip off of your shoulder about someone not being attracted to you and focus that energy towards someone that is attracted to you. And saying that it is "racist" because someone is not attracted to you because of your race is bullshit. I have friends of many colors and ethnic backgrounds that I love dearly, but I am not attracted to them sexually. Sexual attraction, emotional attraction and a host of other factors play into making someone desire you, of course….but, all the components have to be there for it to work. And if you don't have a sexual desire for someone there is no point in pursuing that person. Life is too short to waste time.
Try watching their ad
Try watching their ad campaign video a few times and listen to what the people have to say. No one is trying to tell you that you can't have a preference for a certain group of people. They are just trying to get people to treat other people with a little respect. Would you go around on a day-to-day basis wearing a shirt or sign that says "no blacks" or "no fems"? Hopefully not, and hopefully you wouldn't treat any category of people differently during non-sexual interactions just because of this. If you aren't interested in someone for whatever reason on Grindr just say "no thanks", ignore the message, or block them. You become racist when you project your internal thoughts and attitudes toward a particular group of people by telling them no Asians, no blacks, etc. And this can be done in your profile description or in private messages with people. When you are generalizing an entire group of people based off of their common physical characteristics and that makes it racist/bigoted. This isn't about erasing your "preferences" and making you date/screw someone that you don't find attractive. It's about getting people to be respectful and nicer to other people. Maybe if we all did this there would be less violence and hate spread in the world.